Seabird tagging feasibility for the Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy

Cook, Aonghais S.C.P.; Pollock, Chris ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5859-9437; Bogdanova, Maria I. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3360-1059; Clewley, Gary; Daunt, Francis ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4638-3388; Green, Ros; Swann, Bob; Weston, Ewan. 2023 Seabird tagging feasibility for the Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy. Marine Scotland, 106pp.

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Abstract/Summary

Following the completion of the ScotWind Leasing round, seabed Option Agreements were put in place for 20 new offshore wind farm projects in Scottish waters, with a capacity in excess of 27 GW. However, the Habitats Regulations Appraisal carried out in relation to the Sectoral Marine Plan (SMP) for Offshore Wind1 highlighted the potential for significant, negative cumulative impacts on some populations of seabirds. Consequently, several of these lease areas, off Scotland’s east coast, are considered to be under the highest levels of ornithological constraint, meaning developments cannot proceed unless evidence can be produced to demonstrate that impacts are at, or can be reduced to, an acceptable level. The SMP Roadmap of Actions highlighted the potential value of seabird tracking studies for producing this evidence. This report aims to build on the SMP Roadmap of actions by: • Producing a summary timeline detailing the key tasks for a seabird tracking project from inception to delivery; • Producing recommended protocols for tagging, covering tag types, capture and attachment methodologies; • Identifying sites where additional tagging work is both feasible and necessary through consultation with local researchers, ringers and fieldworkers and site visits.

Item Type:	Publication - Report (Technical Report)
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	Biodiversity (Science Area 2017-24)
ISBN:	9781835212745
Funders/Sponsors:	The Scottish Government
Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:	Open Access report - full text available via Official URL link.
Additional Keywords:	offshore wind farms, renewable energy, human impacts, seabirds, tracking, tagging, loggers, gannet, kittiwake, herring gull, great black-backed gull, guillemot, razorbill, St Abbs Head to Fast Castle, Forth Islands, Fowlsheugh, Buchan Ness to Collieston Coast, Troup, Pennan and Lions Heads, East Caithness Cliffs, North Caithness Cliffs, Copinsay, Fair Isle, Scottish Special Protection Areas (SPAs)
NORA Subject Terms:	Ecology and Environment
Date made live:	11 Jun 2025 15:23 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/539550

Item Type:

Publication - Report (Technical Report)

UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:

Biodiversity (Science Area 2017-24)

ISBN:

9781835212745

Funders/Sponsors:

The Scottish Government

Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:

Open Access report - full text available via Official URL link.

Additional Keywords:

offshore wind farms, renewable energy, human impacts, seabirds, tracking, tagging, loggers, gannet, kittiwake, herring gull, great black-backed gull, guillemot, razorbill, St Abbs Head to Fast Castle, Forth Islands, Fowlsheugh, Buchan Ness to Collieston Coast, Troup, Pennan and Lions Heads, East Caithness Cliffs, North Caithness Cliffs, Copinsay, Fair Isle, Scottish Special Protection Areas (SPAs)

NORA Subject Terms:

Ecology and Environment

Date made live:

11 Jun 2025 15:23 +0 (UTC)

URI:

https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/539550